New Grad Critical Care Experience

LV3677 · Oct 26, 2015

I'm not a CRNA, however...

Residency programs/internships are ways into the ICU. And they are extremely competitive and challenging. Or some people work as HCA's/CNA's on ICU's and get hired on after passing NCLEX. The hospital I work at won't consider new grads for an ICU unless a) they are in the residency program or b)worked as an HCA on the unit or c) completed senior practicum there.

Some places take new grads- it depends on the hospital.

If you can't get into an ICU, consider PCU or med-surg nursing.

Also, I would not say that ICU is ranked the highest. Each unit has its significant challenges and can give you experience that would be beneficial.

Dranger · Oct 26, 2015

So, I believe that the standard experience needed to apply to a CRNA program is in critical care. From reading this forum, I have also gathered that the ICU is ranked the highest compared to other units, like the PACU. Now, I have been looking on job websites and what is required to get a position in the ICU or critical care, in general. The far majority of positions require critical experience. This seems like a Catch-22. So, to all the CRNAs, how did you get your critical care experience and how can new grads ever try to join such units (I have read of people on this forum that got positions straight out of nursing school)?

I did a CC residency from the start, they are out there.

Also do not tell managers or co-workers of your intention to attend CRNA school either at the interview or even at work. ICUs have high attrition as it is and you are basically telling them you will be there for the minimum time then leaving. Say it during an interview and you might not get hired.

There will be a lot of bad blood. Just do your time and move on.

gazpaz · Oct 27, 2015

There were new grad ICU residency programs when I got my job out of nursing school. Most CRNA programs specifically require ICU experience, bonus points for working with surgical patients and fresh hearts. It is rare to find a CRNA that only had ED or PACU experience prior to going to school.

With the the job market being so tough, just try to get your foot in the door - any job in the hospital and apply to an ICU position as soon as you have 1 year of experience and the position opens. If you tell the nurse recruiter (if they still have those) that you aspire to work in the ICU, they might help you get on track for that goal. I agree with prior comments DO NOT mention any graduate school possibilities during your interviews. Just talk about wanting to be in a critical care setting and helping sick patients, wanting more to really challenge yourself and put everything you learned to practice. They will not want to invest in training you if they think you will turn around and leave in 2 years.

staphylococci, NP · Oct 28, 2015

I started off as a new graduate RN in the MICU through the hospital's nurse residency program. Nurse residency programs seem to be the safest bet for new grads who want to work in critical care fresh out of school. If that isn't possible for you, begin working in med/surg or telemetry and transfer later to the hospital's ICU.

oldsockventriloquist · Oct 28, 2015

I started off as a new graduate RN in the MICU through the hospital's nurse residency program. Nurse residency programs seem to be the safest bet for new grads who want to work in critical care fresh out of school. If that isn't possible for you, begin working in med/surg or telemetry and transfer later to the hospital's ICU.

So, I keep on hearing that med/surg or telemetry could help you land a spot in the ICU. Is that because of the connections you make while in those units? I assumed most critical care positions want critical care experience. How do those units give you that experience (where you could apply for those positions)?

sjalv · Oct 28, 2015

Where I live, you can get a job as a new grad in the ICU without experience. In other places, they require previous nursing experience such as in a med-surg unit or elsewhere. It really just depends where you live.

rnswoop · Oct 28, 2015

It's building blocks. You might have to take baby steps to get into an icu. A lot of hospitals like to hire from within; they can talk to your current manager from the med/surg/pcu unit, and find information about you easier. It's much easier to get into an icu once you have a year or two of experience. It's probably easier to transition from a pcu as opposed to a med/surg unit straight into the icu, but it's also not unheard of.

I had to take this route. Started in a nursing home, went to a med/surg floor, then a pcu. I never got any phone calls while I was working in med /surg but once I had some pcu experience I got a phone calls right away from jobs I applied to.

PVCCHoo · Oct 28, 2015

In my area they hire all kinds of inexperienced people in the ICU, and yes the turnover is high. I started there this summer as a PCT have seen at least 10 RNs move on already. Of the new RNs we have on the unit, some are new BSN grads with no experience, some are experienced nurses with no ICU experience and we even have ADN new grads who previously worked as techs. In fact, every tech on my unit that wanted to work as an RN after graduation was given a job. That's what I am hoping for as well. I do not plan to bring up my plans to try to get in to CRNA school, but if they ask I will tell the truth. There are some RNs who flat out told the nurse manager they were trying for CRNA and still got hired. The people in charge seem to know it is a stepping stone unit.

Larry3373 · Oct 28, 2015

I worked medsurg 1 year, then telemetry for 1year, then ICU. I probably would have been able to transition to ICU sooner if I would have stayed at the same hospital. My advice would be to apply for new grad residencies; 2nd option would be to apply to telemetry or pcu, the request a transfer 6 months to a year. Telemetry or cardiac stepdown are more desirable for ICU since they require a familiarity with cardiac rhythms and other important medications. I would also advise you to consider hospitals that may be farther away. I work at a 24 bed SICU that takes hearts, but I have to drive an hour both ways, but it's worth it for the experience.

dressagerdr · Oct 28, 2015

I got my job in a general ICU after about 6 months of working on a walkie-talkie neurosurgical floor. When I first started there it wasn't very typical to see a new grad with absolutely no experience there; as other posters have stated, the new grads who did get in were known on the unit through doing an internship during nursing school or having worked as a CNA while in nursing school, etc.

When I left 5 months ago to attend CRNA school, almost all of the new hires were new graduates. It was a rural area, so there wasn't much influx of experienced nurses, and the hospital was short-staffed on all of their units so they couldn't afford to be too incredibly choosy unfortunately. So, if you're willing to move, I'd bet you could find an ICU that would take you right out of school granted you have good grades and good references. But, I'd also throw a letter of caution to you if you do want to do that or those who are considering that - if a hospital is that desperate for staff, the work environment may not be the best for learning, or the safest for delivering quality care to your patients.

And based on my personal experience, I might suggest getting more experience on a med-surg floor or step-down unit before going to the ICU. As a new grad, you don't always know what you don't know, and the ICU can be an incredibly fast-paced, overwhelming setting. You'll get to your goal of being a CRNA someday, but I'd suggest getting the best experience as possible instead of the fastest route.

SRNA12191 · Oct 29, 2015

There are plenty of ICU's all over the united state that are willing and always take new grads into the ICU. You have to be willing to apply to every job in your area and maybe even jobs out of state. If you are willing to do whatever it takes you can get a job in the ICU. Don't let people tell you that med/surg experience is needed or even beneficial before working in the ICU. Anyone who has worked both knows that they are two completely different universes. New grads are plenty capable of working in the ICU if they put there mind to it, you may just need to make sacrifices to get that job. To make a long story short, med/surg nursing, while I respect what they do (jobs probably harder than the ICU) is a pointless waste of time if your end game is anesthesia.